Background: Summer camps can promote positive youth development. Unfortunately, racial, ethnic, and economic disparities contribute to inequities in camp participation and related research on marginalized youth. Consequently, it is not clear what types of camping programs work best for marginalized youth. Purpose: To conduct a quasi-experimental…

The Clearwater County Sixth Grade Forestry Tour is a unique 3-day, 2-night program that provides participants an objective view of the importance and impact of natural resource-based industries while promoting an understanding of issues regarding natural resource uses. The targeted audience is 6th grade youth, but others interested in natural…

Physical inactivity is a growing problem among children, particularly school-aged youth. Research suggests children are especially prone to inactivity in the summer months when access to structured school-time and extra-curricular activities is reduced. Community programs like residential summer camps offer an excellent environment for engaging…

In this exploratory case study, I investigated the ways that youth engaged in negotiating their identity during learning conversations at an informal science education camp. In particular, I was interested in exploring the ways that youth positioned themselves within their learning group and how this influenced their identities as learners of…

To prepare students for attending school out-of-doors, this manual addresses the student directly. Topics covered in the first part of the manual include the Outdoor School site, the school staff, living at the Outdoor School, studying in the Outdoor School, fun at the school, and a brief paragraph of initial preparation for the Outdoor School.…

Built around the role of the teacher in outdoor education, this manual outlines important aspects of an organized Outdoor School program for sixth-grade students in Multnomah County, Oregon. The manual describes the Outdoor School, staff responsibilities, and orientation to the Outdoor School. Specific information for teachers, suggested follow-up…

Materials available in this manual are designed to aid camp counselors in working effectively with students and with other camp personnel in making the overall camping experience as meaningful as possible. The manual includes sections on (1) the role of the junior counselor in relation to all other persons at the camp, (2) how the Outdoor School…